There is a great deal of folklore surrounding who first came up with the idea for kettle corn. It is possible that more than one could be true. Many times in history people come up with the same idea roughly within the same framework of time. It can also be difficult to discover the truth because sometimes groups of people want to take credit for something and just pass on stories to their children that their children told them.
One often told story holds that it was discovered around the eighteenth century in the Pennsylvania region by the immigrating Dutch settlers to the area. They generally made it for selling during local fairs and other festivals that people visited. They are often thought to be the first group to use sorghum or molasses for flavoring while it was cooking in their cast iron Dutch ovens.
Another story suggests that 1800's cowboys and farmers would celebrate the end of a good harvest or cattle round up by making it. They would heat up their big cast iron soup pot and coat the bottom with lard. After heating it up they would toss in the popcorn and what ever sweeteners they had at hand. Sugar was very expensive in the west so they often also used sorghum and molasses which was much cheaper. As the corn popped they would stir it up with wooden spoons or their hands.
Likely the most intriguing theory is that it originated with a German immigrant who moved to the U. S. Early in the 1800's Hans Adair took his family to Missouri and began a new life for his wife and children. His older brother had a market and to make extra money they would sell popcorn, which was inexpensive at the time, that was coated it with various flavorings.
The recipe is actually very simple and requires only a few ingredients. A quarter cup oil or animal fat. Many purists prefer to use animal fat for a better flavor. A quarter cup of what ever sweetener you will be using. You will also need a half cup of unpopped popcorn.
It is best to use pots that have a thick bottom to help spread out heat evenly. Put the oil in and about three kernels and let the pot get hot. After the three kernels have popped, add your sugar or other sweetener stir it and add popcorn.
Stir it a little more and cover it. Shake it repeatedly while it pops and dump it into a bowl immediately after it is done. Different popcorn has different tastes and textures, so you can experiment with different types.
Even though most kettle corn was cooked in big iron pots in the distant past, some people like making it in their homes. The trick is shaking it often while it pops and removing it from the heat soon after it pops so your sweetener does not start to caramelize. You may use almost any type of sweetener you like including molasses, sugar, sorghum and honey.
One often told story holds that it was discovered around the eighteenth century in the Pennsylvania region by the immigrating Dutch settlers to the area. They generally made it for selling during local fairs and other festivals that people visited. They are often thought to be the first group to use sorghum or molasses for flavoring while it was cooking in their cast iron Dutch ovens.
Another story suggests that 1800's cowboys and farmers would celebrate the end of a good harvest or cattle round up by making it. They would heat up their big cast iron soup pot and coat the bottom with lard. After heating it up they would toss in the popcorn and what ever sweeteners they had at hand. Sugar was very expensive in the west so they often also used sorghum and molasses which was much cheaper. As the corn popped they would stir it up with wooden spoons or their hands.
Likely the most intriguing theory is that it originated with a German immigrant who moved to the U. S. Early in the 1800's Hans Adair took his family to Missouri and began a new life for his wife and children. His older brother had a market and to make extra money they would sell popcorn, which was inexpensive at the time, that was coated it with various flavorings.
The recipe is actually very simple and requires only a few ingredients. A quarter cup oil or animal fat. Many purists prefer to use animal fat for a better flavor. A quarter cup of what ever sweetener you will be using. You will also need a half cup of unpopped popcorn.
It is best to use pots that have a thick bottom to help spread out heat evenly. Put the oil in and about three kernels and let the pot get hot. After the three kernels have popped, add your sugar or other sweetener stir it and add popcorn.
Stir it a little more and cover it. Shake it repeatedly while it pops and dump it into a bowl immediately after it is done. Different popcorn has different tastes and textures, so you can experiment with different types.
Even though most kettle corn was cooked in big iron pots in the distant past, some people like making it in their homes. The trick is shaking it often while it pops and removing it from the heat soon after it pops so your sweetener does not start to caramelize. You may use almost any type of sweetener you like including molasses, sugar, sorghum and honey.
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